Drone Footage Reveals Stunning Size Of Palestinian “Great Return March” Protests Just Before “Bloodbath” Ensued

March 31, 2018 in News, Video by Ken

source: www.zerohedge.com
by Tyler Durden

We previously reported the deadly encounter along the Israeli-Gaza border on Friday afternoon during a series of massive protests which took place near the security fence surrounding the Hamas-controlled Gaza strip. By the day’s end an astounding casualty toll hit world headlines after Israel used live bullets to quell what it called “rioting”: the BBC reports 16 Palestinians dead and over 400 wounded by live Israeli fire

And hundreds of others were reported wounded by rubber bullets, tear gas canisters, and in the general ensuing chaos. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have admitted to using live ammunition – and not just the rubber bullets more commonly used to disperse protests – claiming that marchers entered a declared “a closed military zone” and threatened Israeli security positions.

At that point the IDF said it commenced “firing towards the main instigators” to disperse the “rioting” crowd that including stone throwing and the hurling of petrol bombs toward Israeli positions. Among those killed by Israeli live fire was a 16-year old boy, according to Palestinian health officials.

There were an estimated 17,000 Palestinians in five locations along the border fence. Image source: Times of Israel.

New footage continues to emerge of what Gazans dubbed “Great Return March” protests which were originally envisioned to span six weeks – though it’s unclear how Friday’s events and Israel’s ongoing crackdown, which activists are calling a massacre, will affect Gazans’ and Palestinians’ ability to organize. UN Security Council members met in New York to call for an investigation into the violence.

Drone footage of the early part of Friday’s march shows a massive column of Palestinian protesters moving toward the border. According the BBC, citing the IDF, there were about 17,000 Palestinians in five locations along the border fence. Some Israeli sources have cited 20,000 marchers.

New drone footage shows the extent to Friday’s “Great Return March” in Gaza:

Muhammad Smiry #GreatReturnMarch@MuhammadSmiry

Drone footage of the Great Return Right March in Gaza.

Further footage published online by Palestinian activists circulated widely late Friday and early Saturday, and appear to show instances of Palestinians shot down in cold blood. 

These included scenes of protesters running through open fields without any identifiable weapons, and one instance of a man shot while praying (warning: mature content):

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